A recent study by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) concludes that participation in International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Program leads to better performance in IB’s Diploma Program.
There is also a substantial difference, according to conclusions reached by ACER, between the greater analytical and inquiry skills of MYP students on the one hand, and the greater content knowledge and exam-taking experience of non-MYP students on the other.
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy offers the IB-MYP and IB-DP programs as well as the IB Primary Years Program. It is the only school in the state offering all three levels of the innovative curriculum.
“Any schemes to build bridges to smooth the transition between the middle years and the DP would need to be flexible and suitably differentiated to cater to the variations in prior knowledge brought by each child to the DP,” the study concluded.
ACER said the transition from the middle to secondary years of schooling is identified as a challenging time, regardless of the curriculum. Evidence suggests that the following factors can assist: providing regular quality feedback on student progress; developing strong student–teacher and peer relationships; systematic learning of key content, skills and understandings in each subject area; setting clear, achievable goals and expectations; and monitoring progress.
The full research summary put together by the IB Research department and released this month is available here.
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Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.